A Look At The NASL Coaches
For 2014
NEW YORK (April 10, 2014) –
Two days from now... The North American Soccer League Spring Season gets
underway on the weekend of April 12-13 and the daily countdown focuses on the
league’s 10 coaches and how they see this upcoming NASL campaign.
Atlanta Silverbacks – Eric
Wynalda
The Silverbacks technical
director returns to Atlanta take full control of the Silverbacks squad for the
2014 campaign. The former U.S. National Team Forward and three-time FIFA
World Cup veteran enters his second spell of coaching duties with the
Silverbacks after being briefly at the helm in 2012. The third all-time
leading goal scorer in U.S. Soccer History, Wynalda also remains an active
soccer analyst for Fox Sports 1.
Wynalda said of now
coaching the Silverbacks in 2014: “Well, we anticipated having some player
turnover, so I think anytime that you go through the process of scouting and
finding new players to help your team, it’s going to take time. It can be
difficult, but this offseason has gone surprisingly well in terms of
identifying new players that we believe will strengthen our squad.”
 |
| Eric Wynalda |
Carolina RailHawks – Colin
Clarke
One of only three coaches
still in the NASL, Northern Ireland native Clarke is currently first in
all-time victories (37) since the league returned in 2011. He is also the
only NASL coach in the top 10 in CONCACAF Champions League victories
(10). A veteran of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Clarke has been at
the helm of the RailHawks since 2012. He guided Carolina to the best
overall record in 2013, which included a 16-game unbeaten streak at their home
field WakeMed Soccer Park.
“Our home record was
phenomenal and we want to continue that and to excite our fans by winning games
and scoring goals,” Clarke said looking to 2014 season. “I’m excited with
the roster that we have and the players we have brought in. We’ve had
some roster turn over since last year, but that is expected. We are going
to continue to play our style.”
FC Edmonton – Colin Miller
A former Canadian national
team player and coach, Miller returns for his second year in charge of FC
Edmonton. Under Miller, the Eddies were the best defensive team in 2013
posting a 1.00 goals against average. In 2014, Miller’s squad aims to
continue to be strong on the backline and improve offensively in turning draws
into victories. The Eddies also aspire to be a contender in 2014 for not
just the NASL crown but also the Amway Canadian Championship.
Miller commented on the
upcoming Spring Season: "The guys have been a credit to the program we set
up in the offseason. The new guys have settled in very quickly and we can
already see the quality of the team go above what we had last year. It’s
an exciting time to be an FC Edmonton player and an even more exciting time to
be an FC Edmonton fan.”
Fort Lauderdale Strikers –
Gunter Kronsteiner
Austrian Gunter Kronsteiner
will take charge of his second consecutive season with the Strikers have added
several key signings for the upcoming Spring campaign. The former
Austrian player who has won two domestic titles and participated in the UEFA
Cup, hopes to continue bringing experience to the Strikers who showed
improvement from a disappointing first half of 2013 to a strong finish in the
Fall season.
“When I see what all the
teams in the league have done in the off-season, it makes me think that the
league will be much stronger,” said Kronsteiner. “So for us it means we
have to work hard and we have to get the right players in place; we’re still
working on this. If everyone did their homework then we’ll be in good
shape and leave our footprint on this league.”
Indy Eleven – Juergen
Sommer
The first coach in the
history of Indy Eleven, Juergen Sommer, is also a former U.S. national team
goalkeeper and was the first American keeper to play in the English Premier
League. A member of the U.S. roster that competed in two FIFA World Cups
(1994, 1998), Sommer was also a local standout leading Indiana University to
the national title in 1988. Sommer also doubles as Indy Eleven’s Director
of Soccer Operations and looks guide the expansion club to be competitive
during the Spring Season.
“It’s a great opportunity
for us to come out into a shortened spring season and learn a lot about our
team,” said Sommer. “I think we have a very manageable schedule.
It’s a very balanced schedule as well, which allows us to balance
training and recovery nicely throughout the season.”
Minnesota United FC – Manny
Lagos
Manny Lagos, who is one of
only two coaches that has been at the helm of the same team since the revamp of
the NASL in 2011, aims to lead United to the league championship that they last
won three years ago. The former U.S. national team player who also
competed at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Lagos is ranked third
in the all-time coaches victories (27). Under Lagos, Minnesota enjoyed a
successful tour in England last month that included a 3-0 victory over local
side Matlock Town FC, which was the first win by an NASL club on English soil
since 2013.
Lagos commented on United
heading into Spring campaign: “We've certainly done a lot of work in the
offseason and we're excited to get at it. We really feel like we had a
nice core from last year that we kept and we're really trying to add pieces
that make us better, like a lot of teams are, and we're really excited about
those pieces that we've added; both some young players and older players.”
New York Cosmos – Giovanni
Savarese
Savarese is back for a
second season with the Cosmos after leading them to their sixth NASL
Championship in 2013 and the club’s first since 1982. The Venezuelan was
a standout goal scorer in the New York area both collegiately and
professionally before playing in leagues in England, Italy and his native
country. Savarese, who also played for Venezuela’s national team, took
charge of the Cosmos in 2013 as the club returned following a 30 year-absence.
On the way to winning the Soccer Bowl trophy last year, Savarese guided the
Cosmos to an 11-game unbeaten streak, which is two shy of the overall league
record in modern era.
“We are looking forward to
the 2014 NASL season,” said Savarese. “It is a new year with new
possibilities. We understand we needed to improve in some areas and were
able to do so, bringing in some players that would improve us.”
Ottawa Fury FC – Marc Dos Santos
Prior to joining Ottawa
Fury FC, Dos Santos spent the last two years coaching youth teams in Brazil and
guided the SE Palmerias Under-15 club to their first ever Brazilian
Championship in 2012. Dos Santos returned to Canada where he previously
coached the Montreal Impact in the NASL until mid-2011.
“During the offseason every
team in the NASL was committed to make themselves stronger for the 2014 season,
which should produce an entertaining brand of soccer for fans of all teams to
enjoy,” said Dos Santos. “There will be no easy games this season as
every point counts! With only nine games in the Spring Season it will be a
sprint to the finish and we must be prepared to play a full 90 minutes every
game.”
San Antonio Scorpions –
Alen Marcina
Marcina, who took over the
coaching duties a few games into the 2013 Fall Season, has assembled a squad of
players that not only meets the team’s goals, but also the style with which the
fans and city expect the Scorpions to play. A former Canadian forward,
who has played in Denmark, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, United
States and locally, Marcina looks to rebuild the Scorpions from their up and
down 2013 campaign that saw them just miss out on the Spring title by a single
point on the last match day to their struggle in the Fall Season in which which
they lost nine of the 10 matches by a single goal.
“We have the great fortune
of playing in a fantastic city, with ardent supporters, for a hands-on
passionate owner, and under the banner of Soccer for a Cause in a community
that fully embraces us,” said Marcina. “We are utilizing all the
resources this great city provides to assemble a squad built to succeed as well
as play the type of fluid, attacking, and attractive soccer our fans and city
can be proud of.”
Tampa Bay Rowdies – Ricky
Hill
The second all-time leader
in coaching victories (33) in the NASL since 2011, Englishman Hill wants to
build on the Rowdies’ league run in 2013 that saw them finish with the
second-best overall record from the combined two seasons last year and
eventually guide Tampa Bay once again claim the NASL title won in 2012.
Hill played more than 400 games in England and represented his country under
legendary coach Bobby Robson. After playing for the Rowdies team that
finished second at the 1992 APSL Final, Hill coached several youth teams in
England before being appointed manager of his former club Luton Town.
Hill said of the 2014
campaign: “We have a number of new talented players and whoever is in the
starting XI should work even harder knowing that we have several guys on the
bench who are eager to show their skills on the pitch. It is great to
have a balance that we’ve not had in the past and this will allow us to play
both wings more comfortably than we have in recent seasons.”
Soccer fans around the
world will be able to ‘Watch Every Match Live’ throughout the 2014 North
American Soccer League season, which kicks off on the weekend of April 12/13.
By subscribing to either a
30-day pass or a season access pass at www.NASLLive.com, soccer fans can access
all 135 matches during the 2014 NASL Spring and Fall Seasons.
Throughout the month of
April, the NASL is offering a 10-day free trial to enjoy the weekly broadcasts
as the league’s 10 teams battle to reach the postseason and compete in The
Championship for the coveted Soccer Bowl trophy.
About the NASL
The North American Soccer
League is a professional soccer league established in the United States and
Canada. The NASL member teams are: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina
RailHawks, FC Edmonton, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Indy Eleven, Minnesota United
FC, New York Cosmos, Ottawa Fury FC, San Antonio Scorpions FC and Tampa Bay
Rowdies. Jacksonville Armada FC, Virginia Cavalry FC and Oklahoma City will
commence play in 2015. For more information about the NASL, visit www.NASL.com. Follow the NASL on
Twitter @NASLOfficial and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NASLfans.
Courtesy
of:
--
Steven Torres
Manager of Public
Relations, International/Hispanic Media
North American Soccer
League
Office: +1/646-757-4643
Mobile: +1/646-785-1155
